Flying-machine.



( W. G. MADISON. I :TLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED-JUNE s; 1910.

Patented Dec. 10,1912.

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FLYING MAOHINE APPLICATION FILED mum, 1910.

Patentefi Dec 19, 1.93.2.

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511 nontoz www W. G. MADISON.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 111m: 8; i910. 1,047;@& Patented Dec; 10, 1912.

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FLYING MAGHINE.

nzrLIGAEION FILED JUNE 8, 1910.

Patented Dec. 19, 1932.

SHBETEFSHEET 4 WaZZer i'flfada'son/ wan'rnnc. manrsou, or mains, IOWA.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Li a-731$? Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10', 1912.

Application filed June 8, 1910. Serial No. 565,687.

in are, first, to provide an improved con-.

struction of supporting plane for increasing the longitudinal and lateral stability and reducing resistance to the ascent of the machine; second, to provide simple and effective means for horizontal and vertical steering: and, third, to provide a construction and arrangement of propellers which will operate both as lifting and driving pro pellers The invention consists of thefeatures of construction, combination and; arrangement of devices, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a flying machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. frontelevation; Fig. t is a vertical transverse section through the car on the line l-4==of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the supporting plane with its slats or pivoted portions arranged for the ascent of the machine. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section thereof on the line 66 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is 35 a side view, showing the horizontal rudder. Fig. 8 is a side view of the feathering and reversing devices of one of the propellers on an enlarged scale. Fig. 9 is a horizontal transverse section of the same.

The main frame 1 of the machine includes a car 2 of suitable construction and has extending therefrom uprights 3 of'any'desired character which carry the supporting or tlo tation plane 4, said plane including in its construction a frame structure The body of the plane proper is secured to. the frame structure 5 in any preferred manner and consists of an open rectangular frame portion 6 provided with rigid laterally extending fixed tips or ailerons 7 and a rear tip or aileron 8, said tips or ailerons serving to increase the lateral andlongitudinal stablllty of the machine. The central portion of the plane body is composed of a series of transversely extending vanes or slats 9 mounted on'eccentric journals 10 to normally drop Fig. 3 is adownward to the substantially vertical position shown inFig. Gwhen not supported by wind pressure. The plane is curved transversely or in a fore and aft direction to secure a desired lift with a minimum drift and may "also be concavo-convexly curved transversely to the line of flight. As shown, the vanes are curved to conform to and complete the general curvature of the plane and are adapted when the machine is in straightaway flight or descending to swing up- Wardly to a substantially horizontal position in the plane ofvthe supporting plane and thus close the open rectangular frame portion 6 to prevent the passage of air therethrough. .By this construction, a full supporting/surface will be provided when the machine is traveling horizontally or descending, while the areaof the supporting surface will be reduced when the machine is ascending in a substantially straight vertical line to reduce the air resistance to its ascent. At the frontof the plane is arranged a pivoted, vertically swinging horizontal rudder 11 in the form of a central flexible rear wing tip, which rudder is connected by a crank arm 12 and a link 13 with a controlling lever 14: on the 'car, whereby said rudder may be adjusted to steer the machine in avertical plane and held in the desired adjusted position, suitable means being employed for securing the lever at any point in its range of movement. A bracket 15 extends from the rear portion of the main frame and plane frameand supports a vertical rudder 16 mounted to swing laterally on a hinge joint 17 and connected by a crank arm 18 and link 19 with an adjusting lever 20 on the car, by which the rudder may be moved to the right or left to steer the 'machine laterally.

Rotary propellers 21 and 22 are respectively arranged in pairs at the front and rear of the'machine and at what may be called the four corners of the flotation plane, the propellers of each pair being disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the machine and mounted on horizontal axes for rotation in a vertical plane.

Each propeller consists of a substantially open, flatrectangulan frame 23 provided with blades on each side of its transverse center, each blade consisting of a transverse series of vanes or slats 24 the ends of which are provided with journals mounted in hear- I ii'igs in the opposite side walls of the frame.

the journals at the inner ends of the slats.

being PIOVldeCl vith cranks 25. The slats er vanes tire thus adapted to be adjusted to lieedgewisein line with each other to form a propeller surface closing the portion or side 'of the frame in "which they are arranged against the passage of air, or to be. turned, to aposition atright anglesto the frame edgexvise to the direction .of rotation of the propeller in order-to provide openspaces 1 for the free passage of air. The. planes-of each pair are mounted for rotation at the same speed upon the oppositeends bf'fl.

transverse shaft" ,7, the-frames 23 being fixed. to the shaft,- and the shafts of the front and rear propellers being driven by beltsor chains 28 from a suitablp motor 29- mounted upon the car.

The vanes composing the blades of 'each propellerfarel adapted to be feathered for the usual purposeand reversed for upward or forward propulsion, as occasiondemands. To this end the cranks of the vanes of the blades of each' propeller are connected with on the shaft 27 and which is held from lon slidii g rods or motion transmitting mem bers 0 and 31 mohnted'in suitable guides 32 on the propeller frame and provided at their inner ends with friction rollers 33- mo'unted to travel avithin the groove 34: 'of a cam or eccentric disk 35 loosely mountedanti si ft with suitable connecting portions,

whereby-during the travel of the frictionaoll- .ers of each link the links will be, at diflferent points in the path of rotation of the propeller, moved outwardly to close or fold the 'vanes and inwardly to open them. As illustrated particularly in Figs. 1 and 8 the cam is set to dispose the 'groove in such position opened for the-passage of air to diminish the Ehat. the vanes upon the descending blade of or propulsion action, While the vanes'upon the ascending blade of the propeller will be resistance to the return, or non-Working movement of said blade. It will be observed a that through this arrangement the thrust of the u'orking blade'will be in a downward and forward direction, whereby .botha liftsecured. -.By shifting the cam half ing and forward propelling action Will be W y around on the shaft this operation-I'nay obviously be reversed, so as to secure a lifting motion solely, whereby the propellers may be adapted to operate simply for a helicopt-io action in lifting the machine fsti aight fromthe' ground for ascension to the desired height before beginning p'ropulsionin a straight line.' In such move-,

5' ment it Will be understood that the vanes of he propeller \villbe closed for a working erative positions. .The rack bars of all the cam disks extend downwardly into the fear and are connected .with ,crankarms 4:2'on a-.t'ransverse ro'ck shaft 43 adapted to be djusted in eitherdireotion by a controlling lever 44, the construction 51nd, arrangement of the par s being such as to adapt the cam disks of .the different propellers to, be 'si multaneously-turned in the proper direction for action. This lever may be provided. I i

with a pawl to engage a rack to secure it in adjusted position or be locked in any other .preferred manner,

I From the foregoing description, the construction of my improved flying machine will be readily understood, and it will be seen that atype of machine is provided by which a straight ascent may be secured with a minimum of resistance and a propelling mechanism provided bv which either a liftiIlg or driving action may be secured at will. By arranging the propellers at or near the corners of the flotation plane and providing the balancing tips described an efficient dc gree of stability "against loss of longitudinal and lateral equilibrium is obtained.

Having thus described the invention, I

1. In a flying machine, the, combination of a body, horizontal transverse shafts mounted at the front and rear of the body on opposite sides of the \longitudinal center thereof, propellers mounted on the respecthe shafts for rotation in a vertical plane and in a fore and aft direction, each of said propellers comprising an' open rectangular frame, front and rear series of vanes p1v-.

otally mounted in said frame and having projecting cranks, links connecting the series of c'ranks, a normally stationary disk mounted on each shaft and provided with a cam groove located mainly at one side of its center, friction rollers on the links engaging said groove at diametrically opposite points, devices for shifting the respect-ive disks to vary-the positions of the grooves therein relative to the axes of the propellers, and means for operating the shifting devices controlling the. cam disks of the series ofpropellers in unison;

2. In aflying machine, the combination of a body, horizontal transverse shafts mo.u'nted at the front and rear of the body onnopposite sides of the longitudinal center there'of, propellers mounted on the respective shafts to rotate in a vertical plane'and in a foreand aft direction, each propeller -vanes mounted in said frame and provided with projecting cranks links connecting the series of cranks, a disk mounted on each shaft and provided with a gear wheel and having a cam groove arranged mainly on one side of itscenter, friction rollers on the links engaging said groove at diametrically opposite points; rack bars engaging the gears of-the respective cam disks. for normally holding said disks stationary and shifting said disks to vary the positions of their cam grooves relative to the axes of the propellers,.and means for holdin the' rack 16 hers stationary and adjusting sai rack bars in unison. 4

Witnesses: I

HEN RY WESTERMAN, HENRY WILSON.

In testimony 'whereof I aflixtlhy signa- 

